March 2010

“There are two men inside the artist, the poet and the craftsman. One is born a poet. One becomes a craftsman.”—Émile Zola

A Conversation With Kristen Sullivan, aka Holly The Terrible, Expressing Emotions Through Vivid Personalities

Rooted in the comics, cartoons and video games she grew up with in Florida, Kristen Sullivan’s paintings tell stories, even when many consist of only a solitary, often female, character.

Her caricatures possess a magnetic pull, each seemingly infused with a backstory that one can’t help but try to piece together. Using a rich and diverse palette of acrylics on canvas (for the most part), Holly The Terrible—Sullivan’s nom de artiste—magically renders a cast of colorful characters who speak through oversized, evocative eyes, subtle facial expressions and occasionally quirky doings. Her creations, though very often whimsical and playful, possess a strong emotive quality, depicting worlds that are simultaneously fun and somber, colorful and troubled.

Inspired by artists ranging from Frida Kahlo to Tara McPherson, this 26-year-old, now Portland-based artist has developed her own style over time, hinting at influences and combining genres, through a mix of formal training and trial-and-error experimentation. Driven by a vigorous creative spirit, Holly draws from the well of her own emotions to form the personalities of her characters and the worlds in which they live. And despite disparaging professors and other possible deterrents along the way, she has remained resolute in pursuing a career as an artist—a decision she made in high school.

Holly maintains a strong online presence, including an Etsy shop, and she has exhibited her work in galleries and at shows in Tampa and Portland. Her catalog, for a painter with less than decade of experience, is quite vast and impressive. She recently took time to discuss her artistic beginnings, her process, the origins and evolution of her style, her sources of inspiration and much more with The Madness of Art. Read more…